Free weights vs. machines: Which provides a better workout?

It’s one of the most heated debates in the fitness community: Do you get a
better workout in the gym by using free weights or machines? Let’s try to
solve this question once and for all and clear up any misconceptions that
have complicated the issue.

Different benefits for different people

Here is where things take a turn. While these general facts about free
weight lifting are true, they are not without their disadvantages. Above
all, free weights can be dangerous and they take a great deal of practice
to master. Not everyone walks into the gym with the skills and technique of
a professional bodybuilder.

Do you have to choose one or the other?

Machines and free weights generally both play a role in an ideal workout
routine. Free weights can play an important role in overall muscle-building
and machines are a great way to isolate and hone the work you are doing in
particular muscle groups. Each mode is better at different things and there
are plenty of machine-based exercises that can have a considerable effect.

Final answer: It depends

The simple truth is that no workout is one-size-fits-all. The best thing to
do is to get into the gym and find out what works best for you. Better yet
— spend some time with a personal trainer if you can manage it and let them
help you build a safe, effective routine perfectly suited to your needs.

Every time you walk into the gym, the goal should always be to get more
comfortable with your options, and to understand the purpose behind the
exercise you are doing, and the proper form to support it. No amount of
reading can compare to the learning and growing that will happen naturally
through experience. But through it all, never forget the cardinal rule — to
know your limits and always stay safe.

Did you know?

Independence Blue Cross members get up to
$150 back on their fitness center fees. Members also enjoy discounts at thousands of gyms in the Globalfit
network, in addition to home exercise equipment from leading manufacturers
of personal fitness products.